Electrical apparatus for cauterizing or heating body tissues



Aug. 13, 1929. NAUTH 1,724,508

ELECTRICAL APPARATUS FOR CAUTERIZI'NG 0R HEATINGBODY TISSUES Fil ed Sept. 27, 1927 fia y nzonaz Naufk v 20 In connection with this use of high freby an adjustable connection between the out- Patented Au 13, 1929.

RAYMOND trauma, or BUFFALO, nnw vonx. ELECTRICAL arrana'rns FOB canrnnrzme on HEATING BODY TISSUES.

Application filed September 27, 1927. Serial No. 2 2,253.

This invention relates to electrical appathe advantage of eliminating any danger of ratus for cauterizing or heating body tissues shocking the patient during the treatment, a and more particularly to novel circuit arserious danger which accompanies the use of rangements by which high frequency current the output current from theplate circuit. 60 5 is utilized as the cauterizing or heating Another feature to be considered in this agent. type of work is that the circuit should be An object of the invention is to provide a such as will permit the easy regulation of circuit arrangement for the generation of the output current over a wide range. This sustained or undamped high frequency curis necessary inview of the fact that the re- 65 1o rent which is extremely simple in design and slstances of the various body tissues to be operation and capable of maintaining a treated vary considerably and that the areas onst nt frequen to 'be treated vary, and furthermore, the A further object is to provide a circuit in resistance of the body tissues decreases with which the output current. and voltage may increased heat 'so as to'require regulation be independently regulated over a wide durlng the treatment. Ihave found that the range so as to provide the proper electrical necessary regulation may be satisfactorily conditions for each patient and by which obtained by the provision of a variable conthe patient may be treated without any denser shunted across the grid coil. A furdanger of shock; ther regulation may, however, be obtained 75 quency current, it is particularly desirable put current conductor and the grid circuit that the high frequency oscillations be unor by the provision of a condenser in the damped and that the frequency of the curoutput circuit. rent be constant. If such conditions are not Embodiments of my invention are illusmaintained, the, patient will be unpleasantly trated herein, in wh1ch:

aifected by the pulsating current induced by Figure is a schematic diagram of one such variations andwhile the effect is not a form of cn'cmtm which the output current serious one, it is obviously a decided adconductor s ad ustably connected to the grid vantage if it can be avoided. Furthermore circuit.- 85 by maintaining these conditions, other ad-- Figure 2 1S a schematic diagram in which,

vantages are. obtained in that a, more 3011- the output current conductor is connected .in stant and intense heating efi'ect will be proseries with the grid coil. duced, the efliciency ofxthe circuit greatly Flgllre 3 is a schematic diagram of a cirincreased and the operating voltage of the cult utilizing alternating current supply and 90 5 i it low r d, which may be connected to operate like any All of the above advantages may be realof the above circuits. ized b th u e f a, the mioni or vacuum The present circuit arrangement essentially tube or the generationfof the high frecomprises a three electrode vacuum tube 1 queney urrent, the circuit arrangement havmg 1ts plate and grid circuits inductively 0 b ing u h th t th l t d id i it coupled through their respective inductances are inductively coupled with the usual direct 2 n The pla e clrcult is connected from connection at ground. With such an ar the plate of the tube through the inductance rangement, I have that the output 2 and direct current source t to a common current may be taken from the grid circuit point or ground 5. The grid circuit is coninstead of the plate as is the usual practice n ed fr m the grid of the tube th g in vacuum tube circuits. This result may e sual fixed condenser 6 and grid leak be accomplished e'ther by directly conne tresistance 7 and -1nductance 3 tothe common ing the patient to a point along the grid cir- P0 g o The filament is con- 1; (i ff t; a h t, ti or i nected a heating current source 8, vari- F i series with the grid circuit or a part thereof. able resistance 9 and g n 5 in the usual As stated above, the practice heretofore fi fin vacuum tube circuits has been to obtain Th ou put rr nt may be obtained from the output current from the plate circuit. the above described arrangement by means By taking the output current from the grid of a conductor 10. which is adjustably concircuit, I have found that I can maintain a nected tothe grid coil as shown in Figure 1.

high efiiciency' and at the same time obtain The magnitude of current obtained by such connection may be regulated by the proviprovided with a switch veloped while for heating without burning sion of a condenser 11 shunted across the grid coil. This current .mayalso be regulated by the provision of a condenser 12 in series with the conductor 10. While both condensers may be used a satisfactory regulation can' generally be obtained by the use of one only, the arrangement depending on the particular requirements of the case at hand. This arrangement also permlts the voltage of the output circuit to be varied by suitably adjusting the point of contact of the conductor 10 with the grid coil 3. The conductor 10 is connected to an electrode 13 which may be either a cauterizing or heatlng instrument as desired and which is, of course, theinstrument applied to the body. While this arrangement will operate with conductor, a second conductor 14 employed connecting the ground 5 body of the patient.

The output current may alsobe obtalned by connecting the body tissues in series W1t h the gri coil as shown in Figure 2. In ,th1s

case the grid coil circuit is opened and the may be to the body tissues placed directly in series therei;

with. It is also possible to place the body in series with the grid condenser 11 which is used for regulation purposes in this circuit.

Where a comparatively low current isrequired I preferably use the series connectlon. If however, a high current is needed, I find that it is more easily obtained by the shunt connection above described. For this reason I preferably make use of the circuit arrangement shown in Figure 3. In this circuit a transformer 15 supplies heating current to the filament through variable resistance 9 and positive potential to the plate through the rectifier 16. This circuitis also 17 which when thrown one way connects theelectrode 13 to the adjustable output current conductor 10 along the grid coil, while when thrown the other way, the grid coil circuit is opened and the electrode connected to the open end of the coil to permit the body tobe connected in series with the coil. Thus this arrangement permits av quick change from one connection to another. A further feature is that by utilizing alternating current supply, the apparatus may be made portable and the circuit connected to a lamp socket.

The electrode 13 to be employed may be of any of the well known types. For instance, in cauterizing,-I employ a needle in which only a small area at the point is exposed and hence an intense burning effect de- I may utilize the same type of needle but aving a larger area quently a less intense heat. For of claiming I desire to use the ter ing effect to cover both cases above stated.

circuit employed and the of should be placed in only one 10,

The operation of the device is as follows: The circuits are properly energized so as to cause the tube to oscillate in the well known manner, the design of the tube and associated circuits being such as tocause the same to generate undamped oscillations. The frequency of these oscillations may be of any value above the range in which the nervous system of the body is affected. The output current is then regulated by adjusting the condenser 11 or the condenser 12 or the point of contact of the conductor 10 with the grid coil, the adjustment used depending on the circumstances of For observing the value current obtained, a milli-ammeter 18 series with the conductor the particular case.

Besides cauterizing or heating body tissues I have found that this arrangement may be used to'mark hard surfaces, cut glass and' other bodies. I have 'further found that it may be used to cut into the body tissues with such a comparatively small loss of blood as to be in eflect. a bloodless operalon. Having claim: I I

1. The combination'of a vacuum tube circuit for the generation of undamped high frequency current having coupled plate an grid circuits with means for deriving current from the grid circuit and transmitting the derived current to a body to produce a burning efi'ect thereon.

he combination of a vacuum tube circuit for the generation of undamped high frequency current having coupled plate and grid circuits with means for regulating the I current in the grid circuitand means for deriving current from transmitting it to a body to produce a burning efi'ect thereon.

3. The combination of a vacuumtube circuit for the generation fully described myinvention, I

of undamped high the grid circuitand c frequency current having coupled plate and K grid derived current;

4. The combination of a vacuum tube circuit for the generation of undamped high frequency current having inductively coupled plate and grid circuits an electrode connected to the grid circuit and adapted to receive current therefrom and to transmit the current to a body to produce a burning eiiect thereon.

. 5. The combination of a vacuum tube circuit for the generation of -undamped high frequency pled plate and grid circuits an electrode connected to the grid circuit and in series with current having inductively couthe grid inductance, said electrode being frequency current having inductively eou adapted to transmit the current to a body pled plate and grid circuits with means for to produce a burning efi'ect thereon and at deriving current from the grid circuit and 10 least a portion of said body being in series cauterizing body tissues with said current. a 5 with said grid inductance. I In testimony whereof I hereby afiix my 6. The combination of a vacuum tube cirsignature. cuit for the generation of undamped high RAYMOND NAUTH. 

